eleventh.transmission
CORPORATE CRITIQUE
Ya' Gotta Drink Water Sometime...
by Correspondent Marta Nelson from Bumbershoot in Seattle.
It's 30 degrees in the glaring sun, my scalp is burning and I'm sitting on sticky Astroturf in the football stadium
at the Seattle Center. No football this weekend, just music, art, comedy and some shopping. This is
Bumbershoot, Seattle's annual music and art festival that draws thousands of locals and travelers over the
September long weekend. I count myself among the travelers this year and have had an excellent time so far.
Who knew there was a venue so close to Calgary where you could see Blondie, Of Montreal, and Badly Drawn
Boy all in one day? Not to mention ride to the top of the Space Needle, tour the harbor, and buy tons of ethnic
jewelry (I love it but know I’ll never wear it) and bottled water at $2.50 (USD) a pop.
Speaking of water, sitting on plastic grass surrounded by hundreds of sweaty concert-goers waiting for yet
another band is thirsty business, so I hop over the prostrate crowd and head to the back of the stadium to
purchase refreshments. On my way, I pass a Tower Records booth, the Spin Magazine kiosk and a Ben &
Jerry's. My options for beverages are incredibly overpriced: bottled water, Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, or something from
one of the two Starbucks kiosks. Does anything seem off? Isn't this supposed to be a festival celebrating
uniqueness and individuality and small businesses? Aren't we in Seattle? I make a sarcastic comment to a
fellow consumer about even Starbucks cashing in on the music scene. She looks at me blankly for a moment
then says, “Well, at least it’s not McDonalds” and queues up for a Frappuccino.
That comment disturbs me, particularly because the Starbucks influence has been niggling at my brain the
entire time I’ve been at Bumbershoot. Blender-filled coffee stands litter the grounds (although the temperature
hasn’t dropped below 25 since I’ve been here) and I can hardly walk without tripping over plastic containers
emblazoned with their logo. Also, the only place I can pick up festival schedules off-site is at actual Starbucks
locations throughout the city. I smell a pact. Why should any corporation, regardless of product, be allowed to
splash their name all over an independent art festival? I suppose the easy answer to this is that even indie
festivals need sponsors and whomever the festival organizers decide to sign with is their call. This year, it has
resulted in allowing cold drinks only under the Pepsi umbrella within 100 yards of the Seattle Center, and
allowing just one company to blend iced coffee.
“But,” you may ask, “what’s the big deal? Starbucks is a responsible corporation. They have a right to promote
their product. And they're the number one free-trade coffee merchant in the world!” True. But that takes us back
to the previous comment. When it comes to globalization, how do they differ from any North American fast food
chain now available as far as China? I imagine we’re quicker to forgive Starbucks, what with it having a higher
‘hip’ factor than, say, the Golden Arches. But consider that there are Starbucks all over Europe and the Middle
East, the worldwide total nearing 12,000 stores. The arm of North America has considerable reach. And sure,
3% of Starbucks’ total coffee business is fair trade, but how fair is it for shop owners in, say, Berlin, to be
ignored by locals heading off to the American conglomerates? Corporate imperialism, while valid and
perfectly acceptable, makes me slightly queasy.
And, to continue picking on Starbucks, if you want to ignore the corporation for a moment and focus on the
product, do they really fare much better than your typical fast food chain? They’re not peddling reconstituted
onions and random chicken parts guaranteed to bloat your waistline, just warm, soothing beverages that
have much more integrity, right? Just ignore all that caffeine and sugar, never mind their addictive qualities. (If
you’d like to argue that coffee and sugar aren’t addictive, visit the Tim’s on the main floor of my office building
– Monday to Friday, 6am to 10am, try dealing with the line of surly, caffeine deprived psychos.) Peddling
essentially unnecessary wants across the world hardly constitutes ‘responsible.’ And it’s not as if we’re
getting any sort of deal. Beginning in October, prices are set to rise again. It’s already over $5 for a Caramel
Macchiato and over $2 for a paper cup, hot water and a tea bag.
My main problem with this is that our options are becoming severely limited, and the Starbucks/Bumbershoot
experience is a microcosm for what’s happening worldwide. Instead of shopping at the market or corner
coffee stand, we head to Superstore or Wal-Mart or grab a steamer from the Starbucks in the Safeway. Is it
convenient? Of course. Cheaper? Yes. But the longer we support the corporations (who are tied to each other
on a frightening scale) we’re feeding that imperialistic creature stomping across countries we used to
appreciate for their differences.
Back here in Seattle, I'm hot, thirsty, and anxious to get back to my spot so I don't miss the next band. I pony up
the $5 for two bottles of Aquafina and head back across the stadium. When my options are limited, I'd rather
sell out than die of thirst.
Author Biography
Marta Nelson has a B.A. in History but works with engineers as a result of some cruel, cosmic conspiracy.
She began reading at age 3 and hasn't stopped since. She's had some recent successes in freelancing and
would like to have even more so she can stick it to the universe.
Arts, Culture, Media, Activism